This is an interesting article because the official diplomatic line from Morocco is that they are a democracy. Period. I am always skeptical when I hear or read this in the media and wonder if most Moroccans view their country as a democracy.
In reading the article, it would appear that most of the country isn't fooled. This then leads me to a more important question:
Do the majority of Moroccans care whether they are a "democracy", or are they happy with the status quo? I also think it's a bit naive for "us" to assume the rest of the world believes that a US democracy is the best way to govern...but that's for another post.
An excerpt:
"According to Morocco's new draft constitution, the king won't be "sacred" any more. Instead, the people will owe him respect and tawqeer - an Arabic term which means something between reverence and adoration. So how much of a paradigm change is it really? Although the US says it is "encouraged" by the draft constitution, this is not particularly good news for the monarchy. This mild praise from a rather unknown state department spokesperson during a routine press briefing demonstrates, if anything, the cautious retreat of US diplomacy."
Photo by Azzouz Boukallouch |
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